Evaluation of adaptive significance of alternative splicing by phylogenetic conservation

通过系统发育保守评价选择性剪接的适应性意义

• 批准号: 238403-2013
• 负责人: Skandalis, Adonis
• 金额: $ 2.16万
• 依托单位: Brock University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2015-01-01 至 2016-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=570413
• 关键词: Evaluation; adaptive; significance; alternative; splicing

Genetic information is stored in the cell in the form of DNA, which the cell cannot access directly. Instead, DNA information undergoes extensive, multistep processing before it can be acted upon to direct cellular functions. One of these processes, alternative mRNA splicing, not only transmits genetic information but also enhances it by generating multiple alternative genetic messages from the same gene. The cell expands considerable amount of resources to generate these alternative messages. While some are essential for the proper functioning and development of the cell, the significance of others is subject of great debate since their function in the cell is unclear. Are they errors tolerated by the cell or do they represent an as yet unknown type of genetic information or a novel regulatory process? In this study we will attempt to evaluate the significance of alternative messages by comparing their production in a variety of including mammals, birds, fish, and amphibians. Our guiding principle is that if alternative messages are functionally important then we will be able to trace their evolutionary development and uncover evidence of their role in the various animals we will investigate.

遗传信息以DNA的形式存储在细胞中，细胞无法直接访问。相反，DNA 信息要经过广泛的多步骤处理，然后才能用于指导细胞功能。这些过程之一，选择性 mRNA 剪接，不仅传递遗传信息，而且还通过从同一基因生成多个替代遗传信息来增强遗传信息。该单元扩展了大量资源来生成这些替代消息。虽然其中一些对于细胞的正常功能和发育至关重要，但其他一些的重要性却存在很大争议，因为它们在细胞中的功能尚不清楚。 它们是否是细胞可以容忍的错误，或者它们是否代表了一种未知类型的遗传信息或一种新的调控过程？ 在这项研究中，我们将尝试通过比较哺乳动物、鸟类、鱼类和两栖动物等多种动物的替代信息的产生来评估替代信息的重要性。我们的指导原则是，如果替代信息在功能上很重要，那么我们将能够追踪它们的进化发展，并发现它们在我们将研究的各种动物中发挥作用的证据。